Sunday, July 1, 2012

I remember stumbling upon The Walking Dead and getting completely wrapped up in it. Are you a fan too? Would you like to refresh yourself on season one and two? Well you can! There is a marathon starting Saturday, July 7th through Sunday, July 8th. I know we won't be sitting and watching both seasons but I will be recording it and sharing it with Mr. Betsy, yes, he is not on the bandwagon yet, but I know he will be!

Check out the schedule here. Unfortunately we will have to wait until Autumn for Season 3 but good things come to those who wait!

Mr. Betsy did the grocery shopping on Saturday and found the Dean's Heat 'n Dip were 2/$4. We enjoy the jalapeno and cheese variety. With this coupon you can score a free one when doubled! Even if you get them when they are not on sale doubling this coupon makes them very inexpensive. Save $1.00 on one Dean's Heat 'n Dip.

Summer can be a great time for kids to learn in a whole new way. And the MuseumofScience and Industry, Chicago is offering eight weeks of ways for parents across the country to keep their kids engaged in science with the online program Summer Brain Games.

Research shows kids can lose one to three months of learning over the summer, i.e., the “summer brain drain.” In a poll conducted for the Museum (MSI) by ORC International, 69 percent of parents said they are concerned their kids will forget the knowledge they learned during the school year, while 88 percent said it’s important to them to find educational activities for their children in the summer.

Summer Brain Games, perfect for families with kids of various ages, fights the “summer brain drain” with a FREE online activity kit featuring weekly, at-home experiments on summery science themes. The experiments can be done with some adult supervision and items that are easily and inexpensively purchased—or found around the house. The kit is available in both English and Spanish.

“The MuseumofScience and Industry, Chicago knows there is a definite need for activities and programs to keep kids learning during the summer,” said Nicole Kowrach, the Museum’s director of teaching and learning. “Studies show that some kids can tune out during the summer months and lose critical knowledge and thinking skills they need to begin a successful new school year. With Summer Brain Games, we are offering families an easy way to engage with each other, learn some science and have fun doing it.”

In the Summer Brain Games online kit, a bright, sunny day poses a chance to learn about solar power. A simple machine like a catapult can make an ordinary water balloon fight extraordinary. And making tasty ice cream can teach about temperature changes. In addition to these weekly experiments, the kit offers other engaging tidbits about the science to be found around us all summer—and year—long! Why do cans of regular soda sink in the cooler while diet soda floats? What’s happening when a beam of light bounces off certain objects and not others? What are the forces of flight that keep airplanes in the air?

In addition to promoting this program to families across Chicago and the nation, the Museum’s Center for the Advancement ofScience Education (CASE) has teamed up with 10 community organizations and kids clubs in low-income communities mostly on Chicago’s West and South sides to provide, at no cost, all the materials necessary to complete the experiments. CASE staff members will be visiting each community group to deliver materials, provide printed kit booklets and introduce the program.

“Kids from disadvantaged communities can suffer the most from the summer brain drain,” said Kowrach. “They often don’t have the support they need to keep learning during a several month break from school. By engaging these community groups in Summer Brain Games, we hope to help these kids prepare for a successful school year ahead.”

HOW TO BECOME A SUMMER BRAINAIC, AND WIN PRIZES, TOO!

Families who register to be “Summer Brainiacs” at msichicago.org/summerbrain will receive a voucher good for a FREE general admission ticket to MSI. (One per household.) Participants will get weekly emails with tips on each experiment and additional ways to play with science during the summer. And, each week, one lucky winner will receive a family membership to MSI to experience a whole YEAR ofscience. Participants will also be invited to share their Summer Brain Games experiences with at least one photo and a brief essay about what they learned for a chance to win a tech package—a notebook computer, iPad and digital camera!

Visit msichicago.org/summerbrainnowto register and learn more. The eight weeks of activities will be available online by June 18 and run through August 12, 2012.

The MuseumofScience and Industry, Chicago (MSI) offers thousands of fun and interactive exhibits and one-of-a-kind, world-class experiences to inspire the inventive genius in everyone. Through its Center for the Advancement ofScienceEducation, MSI also aspires to a larger vision: to inspire and motivate children to achieve their full potential in science, technology, medicine and engineering. Come visit and find your inspiration! MSI is open every day except Christmas and Thanksgiving day; regular hours are 9:30 to 4 p.m. every day. During the summer and peak periods, the Museum will offer extended hours, until 5:30 p.m., each day. The Museum is supported in part through the generosity of the people of Chicago through the Chicago Park District. For more information, find MSI online at msichicago.org or call (773) 684-1414 or (800) GO-TO-MSI outside of the Chicago area.

Check out the other membership benefit here. It gets crazy downtown, this looks like a fun event. I love that there are activities so you can get tuckered out and then enjoy snuggling while watching the fireworks together. :)

Today through July 14th you can get 33% off Same Day Pick-up Photo Products w/ promo code TODAY33. This is perfect! If you have a birthday or a celebration that you need a gift for it is not to late to get a beautiful personalized gift. Walgreens is certainly expanding their in store pick up selection so you will be able to get a number of great items the same day!

Head over to OldNavy.com and take advantage of this great deal! The more you buy, the more you save! Save 15% off any priced order, but when you spend $100 or more, you will save 20%! Use promo code ONSAVEBIG at checkout. Today is the last day to score these savings!

ING Direct is back offering a very big incentive for opening up an ING Electric Orange Account. You could add up to $152 to your fund with their Financial Independence Days Sale. This is the biggest incentive I have ever seen them offer! I have heard some great things about ING Direct, so I know it's legit and that they do everything they can (and a great job!) protecting your money! I plan on opening up an account for extra automated savings to ensure a nice, forced savings account! I don't think that $76 would be too shabby a start...just for signing up and funding!

There are 3 different deals available for the ING bank during this sale. You can do each deal once per person. So if you and your spouse want to open an Electric Orange account or you want a Kids Savings Account per child, you will all qualify for the bonus amounts!

Open Electric Orange between June 30th – July 3rd and make a total of 5 purchases (either signature or PIN-based) using your Electric Orange Card or Person2Person Payments (or any combination of the two) within 45 days, and a $76 bonus will be automatically deposited into your account by August 22nd.

How to earn an additional $76 bonus:

Also earn $76 more for switching – Set up Direct Deposit and have two Direct Deposits of at least $250 post to your Electric Orange by August 31st, and your other $76 bonus for setting up Direct Deposit will be automatically deposited by September 10th.

Open a Kids Savings Account between June 30th – July 3rd and we’ll put a $17.76 bonus into your new account. Only available when you open a new account with at least one new Customer (either you or the child must be a new Customer to ING DIRECT and, yes, the child must be under 18 years old).
$17.76 bonus starts earning interest upon account opening, and is available for withdrawal after 30 days. There’s no minimum deposit amount required.

Open MONEY between June 30th – July 3rd and make 1 Card transaction (signature, PIN-based or with PayPassTM) using your MONEY Card within 30 days. Keep in mind, the teen gets the Card. Your $27.76 bonus will be automatically deposited into your account on day 35. There’s no minimum deposit amount required.

The sale will only last 4 days! Saturday, June 30th, 12:00 AM ET – Tuesday, July 3rd, 11:59 PM ET